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Home » drinks

How to Make Herbal Iced Tea

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Discover how easy it is to make herbal iced tea at home. No need for special equipment - you probably already have everything you need. It's quick to make a pitcherful of any flavor you like. Plus, you can use Edible Flower Ice Cubes to make your iced tea next level!

A small pitcher of nondairy creamer being poured into a glass of iced tea next to a pitcherful and a large ice cube with a nasturtium bloom in it.

For many summers, I put off making iced tea. It seemed like a hassle. The reality is, it really isn't a hassle at all and is so satisfying on a summer day. It's definitely worth making! For extra flair and beauty, I like to use Edible Flower Ice Cubes.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Equipment
  • Instructions
  • Variations
  • Storage
  • FAQ
  • Related
  • Pairing
  • The Recipe
  • general food safety
  • Comments

Ingredients

You don't need much to make herbal iced tea!

An herbal tea bag, creamer, a teapot, a pitcher of water, and floral ice cubes layed out to make herbal iced tea.

Herbal tea bag: Simply choose your favorite standard-sized herbal iced tea bag. Not all tea bags are created equal. I like to look for unbleached biodegradable tea bags, like those by Clipper. Pictured is their orange and turmeric herbal tea - so good!

Alternatively, you can use fresh flavorful herbs, like lemon balm and pineapple mint.

Filtered Water: Some for the tea kettle and some for the pitcher.

Ice Cubes: Any will do. For fancy, use Edible Flower Ice Cubes or Blood Orange Ice Cubes.

See recipe card for quantities.

Equipment

Tea kettle

Liquid measuring cup, mug, or 8-oz+ bowl

Pitcher (one quart/liter)

Drinking glass(es)

Instructions

It just takes a few simple steps to get a pitcherful of iced tea ready.

A teabag steeping in a glass measuring pitcher half filled with hot water.

Steep 1-2 tea bags (or a bundle of fresh herbs tied together with kitchen twine) in boiled water.

A tall pitcher with large ice cubes that have herbal flowers frozen in their centers.

Add ice to a pitcher.

Water being poured into a tall pitcher of herbal iced tea.

Pour water and steeped tea into the pitcher of ice.

An overhead view of fresh herbs surrounding a pitcher and glass filled with iced tea.

Pour from the pitcher into a glass. Add more ice as needed.

Tips:

The darker the tea, the less you'll see your beautiful cubes.

One tea bag for a lighter tea, two for more flavor.

1 cup boiled water to steep teabag

A large edible flower ice cube being dropped into a pitcher of iced tea.
A water carafe filled with herbal iced tea with large pink flower ice cubes.

Variations

Try adding herbs or fruit to your iced tea (like any of the flavored waters), or flavored ice cubes like Blood Orange Ice Cubes.

Storage

When not in use, keep your pitcherful of iced tea in the fridge for up to a couple days. Alternatively, you can keep adding ice to it, though that can dull the flavor and color.

Herbal iced tea being poured from a pitcher to a glass.

FAQ

Which herbal tea makes a good iced tea?

If you like the flavor of a particular herbal tea, it will most likely make a great iced tea! Lately, I've been enjoying an orange and turmeric iced tea by Clipper.

Can you brew herbal tea in cold water?

You can, though for the most flavor extraction it's best to use a smaller amount of boiling water for steeping and then add cold water after it's steeped.

Related

Looking for more recipes for drinks? Check out the Drinks page!

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:

  • Edible flower ice cubes scattered on a marble surface.
    Edible Flower Ice Cubes
  • Several blood orange ice cubes next to each other.
    Blood Orange Flavored Ice Cubes
  • red, white, and blue drink of fruit and herbs in a water pitcher
    Red, White, and Blue Flavored Water
  • A glass pitcher of lemon mint water on a marble surface.
    Lemon Mint Flavored Water

The Recipe

Iced tea being poured into a glass with a floral ice cube in it.

How to Make Herbal Iced Tea

Discover how easy it is to make herbal iced tea at home. No need for special equipment - you probably already have everything you need. It's quick to make a pitcherful of any flavor you like.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Lifestyle: Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 2
Fiber:
Prevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

  • tea kettle or microwave
  • liquid measuring cup or mug
  • pitcher
  • drinking glass

Ingredients

  • 1-2 herbal tea bag(s) your favorite
  • 4 cups filtered water 1 cup for boiling + 3 cups
  • 3-6 ice cubes or more, depending on size

Decorative variations

  • Edible Flower Ice Cubes
  • Blood Orange Ice Cubes
  • fresh herbs like basil, mint, rosemary
  • fresh fruit like berries, mango, watermelon, or pineapple

Instructions

  • Boil: In a tea kettle, bring at least one cup of water to boil.
  • Steep: Place one or two tea bags in a liquid measuring cup, mug, or other heat-resistant container that can hold at least one cup of liquid.
    Pour about one cup of boiling water over the tea bag(s) and steep for 5 minutes, or according to package instructions.
  • Ice: In a pitcher with at least one quart/liter (4 liquid cups) capacity, place 3-6 ice cubes, depending on the size of your cubes - or more, if you'd like. Use decorative ice cubes, if desired.
  • Liquid: Add three cups of water to the pitcher of ice. Once the tea is finished steeping, remove the tea bag(s) and pour the steeped tea into the pitcher of ice water.
  • Storage: Keep chilled. When not in use, keep your pitcherful of iced tea in the fridge for up to a couple days. Alternatively, you can keep adding ice to it, though that can dull the flavor and color.

Notes

One tea bag will provide light flavor, two will give you a stronger flavor. 
I recommend steeping within the time indicated on the package instructions or within 5 minutes. Steeping too long can lead to a bitter flavor.
Tried this recipe?I'd love to see! On Instagram, mention @beautifulingredient and tag #beautifulingredient!

general food safety

See guidelines at USDA.gov.

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    Blueberry Mojito Mocktails
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    Sunshine Orange Blender Juice
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    Cherry Vanilla Flavored Water

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Kari smelling anise hyssop while standing behind her market basket and fresh produce.

Welcome to a world of beautiful food!

I'm Kari, and this is where I celebrate beautiful ingredients and focus on ways to make eating more plants easier. Recipes are centered around whole foods and are vegan, cooked without the need for oil, mostly refined sugar-free and gluten-free. And so delicious!


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